


golden (like sands of time)

by filipinopercy (divineauthor)



Series: filipinopercy’s 600 follower celebration [9]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Gods (Percy Jackson), Alternate Universe - No Powers, Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Holding Hands, Originally Posted on Tumblr, POV Annabeth Chase, Reunions, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24950893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/divineauthor/pseuds/filipinopercy
Summary: The sun dips and hangs low over the horizon, showering the rest of the city softly in a golden haze. Annabeth watches with lidded eyes as orange melds into pink, blending into the dark blues of the sky. The air is still warm and thick against her skin, tinting her red all over. She sighs and leans her head back against the exposed brick. The metal grate of the fire escape indents her skin, but she’s too sun-weary to leave even though some of her hair sticks to the back of her neck and she’s dying for another glass of water.—•—Annabeth’s back from studying abroad for a semester. She and Percy talk outside on the fire escape.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Series: filipinopercy’s 600 follower celebration [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711804
Comments: 6
Kudos: 116





	golden (like sands of time)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [annabetncnase](https://archiveofourown.org/users/annabetncnase/gifts).



> dedicated to bia !!! thank you for sending in a prompt for my [600 follower celebration](https://filipinopercy.tumblr.com/post/615882901030141952/biannabethchase-hiiiii-i-just-reached-600) !!! 
> 
> prompt: percabeth fluff + “I think you might be my soulmate.”
> 
> title from: zayn’s “golden”

The sun dips and hangs low over the horizon, showering the rest of the city softly in a golden haze. Annabeth watches with lidded eyes as orange melds into pink, blending into the dark blues of the sky. The air is still warm and thick against her skin, tinting her red all over. She sighs and leans her head back against the exposed brick. The metal grate of the fire escape indents her skin, but she’s too sun-weary to leave even though some of her hair sticks to the back of her neck and she’s dying for another glass of water. 

She’s been waiting for Percy for at least an hour and she could’ve stayed in his room like she normally does, but it doesn’t feel the same without him anymore. Annabeth has stayed there by herself plenty of times before. Sally doesn’t even blink when she comes in and shuts herself in his room. Hell, she has keys to their apartment—the Jackson residence is her second home, but this is the first time she’s been back in  _ months  _ and she just wants Percy by her side. Five months without seeing him was far too long in her opinion. 

She doesn’t regret doing a semester abroad though, but she misses Percy like a phantom limb. Skype calls and countless texts can never beat the physical reality of Percy’s arm around her shoulders, the way he’d tuck a stray curl behind her ear, the soft press of his hugs, his heartbeat in her ears when they’d end up cuddling after marathoning a couple of movies. His room’s too empty. She doesn’t think anything can compare to having him with her. 

When she first walks in, Sally tells her that Percy’s grabbing dinner with his college friends before he heads back home, so she just snatches a glass of water and heads out to the fire escape to soak in the last hour of sunlight. The ice has long since melted in the heat and she’s in a state of half-consciousness, not fully asleep, but her limbs are loose and she feels more relaxed than when finals ended. 

She can distantly hear the sound of Sally greeting Percy home and telling him where she is, but she still doesn’t open her eyes until an achingly familiar weight settles beside her. Long limbs stretch out next to hers and she leans her head against his shoulder. He smells the same and it makes her bury herself into his side more. 

“I missed you,” she says. Her words are too loud even though the noise beneath them filters up to her ears. 

Percy’s hand intertwines with hers and squeezes softly. He turns his head and presses a soft kiss to the crown of her head. He parrots her easily, “I missed you too.” He shifts slightly and Annabeth’s a little too scared to look at his face. There’s something about this moment that’s making her heart seize wildly in her chest, like they’re both of the precipice of saying… saying  _ something. _

Annabeth’s been friends with Percy for so long, it’s a wonder she ever coped without him by her side. He should’ve been traveling with her around Greece, taking side routes all across Europe. She can imagine Percy standing in front of the Parthenon, basking in the sunlight, his brown skin glowing, his eyes crinkling from his smile. God, even in her mind he’s so beautiful. She lifts up her head and faces Percy, meeting his eyes for the first time in months. But he had to stay home because of his scholarships, not to mention the fact that he’s scared shitless of planes and she doesn’t want him to feel obligated to go on one for her. Not that he would do it  _ for _ her, Annabeth backtracks. She bites the inside of her cheek to stop herself from thinking. 

Percy is closer than she thought he would be, probably because he didn’t turn his head away. There’s flecks of gold in his eyes where the sun catches him and he smiles widely, his nose scrunches up with it. She giggles lightly at the sight. 

“Hi,” he says, the dimple in his cheek deepening. Her free hand twitches with the need to touch his face, to feel the joy radiating from him, like she can hold it in her palms. “I thought you were arriving tomorrow.”

“Surprise!” she says, grinning up at him. 

“I had a whole day planned, Annabeth,” he whines a little. “I was gonna surprise  _ you. _ ” 

Annabeth’s warmer than she was the entire time she sat outside and she shuffles around till she’s sitting crisscrossed next to him. She can’t resist teasing him, “Well, my surprise is better.” 

But Percy’s smile just softens. He reaches out a hand and slides her loose hair behind her ear. He says, “Yeah. You’re right.”

He doesn’t elaborate, but he doesn’t need to. She already knows. 

“So what was your plan,” she asks instead, grabbing one of his hands with hers and playing with his fingers. Both of their fingers are long, but his hand is wider than her own. The last ray of sunlight peaks over the buildings and they are left with the soft glow of the moon. Her hands are strikingly pale against his. 

“Well,” he draws out, “I was gonna pick you up from the airport and take you to that diner that Grover’s been raving about for ages. Then we were gonna drop off your stuff at my place and then I’d make us a pillow fort and binge  _ The Good Place  _ until we both crashed.” 

He was her best friend and she  _ loves _ him so damn much. It’s the perfect ending to her semester abroad. A day beginning and ending with Percy. She can’t help but say, “I think you might be my soulmate.” 

She freezes, her hands stilling over his, and he’s not moving either. Fuck, he’s not  _ moving. _ What the hell did she just do? 

“Annabeth,” he says softly, cupping her cheeks in his palms. Her brain slows to a stop. He’s so close and his lips are inches away. He smiles as his thumb caresses her cheek. “I think you might be my soulmate too.”

A breath she didn’t know she was holding releases from her chest and she laughs out of pure relief. “Really?”

“Really,” he promises. A second later, he asks, all shy now in the moonlight, “Can I kiss you.”

She can’t even tease him about it. All she breathes out is, “Yes.”

And Percy’s lips meet hers and the world slowly melts away. 

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed !!!! find me on [tumblr](http://filipinopercy.tumblr.com/) :D and if u want u can also reblog the [post](https://filipinopercy.tumblr.com/post/622116815986884608/happy-600-alyssa-can-i-have-and-for) !


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